The present invention relates to an acoustic coupling product label and a method for using the label.
The capture of a product's serial number at the beginning of a service call is generally a cumbersome and costly process for companies that provide service on hardware products such as computer systems, computer-controlled machinery and the like. The product's serial number is needed for several reasons, including validation of the customer's entitlement to service and determination of the parts that may be needed so most service providers try to get customers to provide the product's serial number during the initial phone call.
However, the regulations from product-certification organizations such as UL (Underwriter Laboratories Inc.), CSA (Canadian Standards Association), and VDE (Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker), specify that the printed serial number label must be attached to the frame of the product, near its power source, which is usually on or near the base of the product. Unfortunately this placement of the printed serial number label may cause difficulty for the customer trying to find the desired product serial number in a timely and accurate manner so the serial number may be given to the service provider. Also, a product's serial number may be hidden by mounting equipment requiring burdensome disassembly, such as having to remove a cash register from its mounting in a check-out stand.
There is a need to provide a product label for assisting customers in providing a product's serial number and/or other identification or related information easily and accurately during a service call, preferably near the beginning of the service call.